Passengers flown home from Myanmar by Vietjet

Vietjet coordinated with the Embassy of Vietnam in Myanmar and the two countries’ authorities to operate a special flight bringing 240 Vietnamese citizens from Myanmar back home safely on May 21 in line with the decisions of the two governments.

The flight is an exceptional repatriation effort to bring back Vietnamese stranded abroad home after the suspension of international flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Passengers on this special flight are Vietnamese citizens with difficulties and wishes to return home, including under-18-year old children, the elderly, sick people, pregnant women, monks and religious groups required to go home after the closure of meditation centers, stranded tourists, workers with expried visas or contracts and students who completed their studies.

The flight also brought some Myanmar citizens home on the departure leg from Vietnam. All passengers have received the maximum support in all aspects as well as medical care during the flights.

To ensure the safety of all impacted citizens and prevent the spread of the epidemic, Vietjet has intensively conducted several security and safety measures before, during and after the flights.

Following its safe landing at Da Nang International Airport, all passengers were medically examined and then escorted to mandatory quarantine centers in accordance with the governement’s policy. The aircraft has been disinfected following global standards.

All Vietjet flights are in alignment with all global supreme standards and guidelines from the local authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). All of its passengers, flight crew, aircraft have been safe up to now.

Previously, Vietjet has carried out many flights, evacuating thousands of passengers out of the pandemic-impacted areas; transporting thousands of tonnes of essentials, medical supplies and equipment; offering free transportation for doctors and medical staff. A lot of non-commercial flights have been operated, many of those are one-way ferry flight bringing Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and other nationalities back home safely.

Vietjet has also operated repatriation flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home from India, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan in response to humanity mission and the social responsibility to the people and community.

The new-age carrier Vietjet has not only revolutionized the aviation industry in Vietnam but also been a pioneering airline across the region and around the world.

With a focus on cost management ability, effective operations and performance, Vietjet offers flying opportunities with cost-saving and flexible fares as well as diversified services to meet customers’ demands.

Vietjet is a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. As Vietnam’s largest private carrier, the airline was awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars in 2018 and 2019 by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com and listed as one of the world’s 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations by Airfinance Journal in 2018 and 2019.

The airline has also been named as Best Low-Cost Carrier by renowned organizations such as Skytrax, CAPA, Airline Ratings, and many others.

Vietnam reports one new imported COVID-19 case

A 34-year-old Vietnamese woman who flew home from Russia on May 13 is the latest person to test positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

She is the 32nd person from one single flight who has contracted coronavirus, including two members of the cabin crew.

The woman who lives in Gia Vien district, Ninh Bình province, tested positive for COVID-19 in Russia but had made a full recovery before flying home.

After being quarantined immediately after landing at Van Don airport in Quang Ninh province, she tested negative.

But results from a second test carried out on May 22 came back positive and she is currently being treated Hai Duong city’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

All passengers from the plane, which flew from Moscow to the Van Don airport were immediately quarantined on arrival, posing no risk to the community.

Since the first case was recorded in Vietnam on January 23, there have been a total of 325 people tested positive with 185 imported cases from other countries.

A total of 267, around 82 percent, have made a full recovery.

Right now there are 15,412 people are in quarantine across the country, including 58 at hospitals, 8,523 at concentrated quarantine establishments and 6,831 at home.

Vietnam records no new COVID-19 cases in community for 37 days

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases on May 23 evening, marking it 37 straight days without new infections in the community.

Of the total 324 confirmed cases, 184 are imported ones who were quarantined upon their arrival in the country.

A total of 267 cases have recovered, accounting for 82 percent of the accumulative caseload, while the 57 active cases are being treated at different medical facilities across the country.

Six have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, while three others have tested negative for the virus at least twice.

More than 14,700 people are under quarantine at hospitals, medical stations and at home./.

Amcham donates automated DNA extraction system to Centre for Disease Control

Mary Tarnowka, executive director of AmCham Vietnam - HCMC, with the director of the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, Nguyễn Chí Dũng, while gifting an automated protein and nucleic acid purification system on Friday. — Photo courtesy of AmCham Vietnam - HCMC

The American Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam – HCM City on Friday (May 22) donated an automated protein and nucleic acid purification system to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control to support its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

KingFisher Flex from Thermo Fisher Scientific is a benchtop automated extraction instrument.

Mary Tarnowka, executive director of AmCham Vietnam- HCMC, said: “I want to convey the deep appreciation of AmCham Vietnam - HCMC for the effectiveness of actions taken by Vietnamese Government leaders and the incredible dedication of Vietnamese officials, including representatives of the HCM City Department of Health and Centre for Disease Control, in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and keeping those of us who live in Việt Nam safe and healthy.

“Việt Nam’s successful management of COVID-19 is now recognised globally. It paved the way for Việt Nam to reopen, and to be one of the first economies in the world to begin its economic recovery. 

“This automated DNA extraction system will not only support Việt Nam’s ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also will increase the capability of Việt Nam in general and HCM City specifically in terms of surveillance, detection, and control of infectious diseases.”

Vietnamese citizens repatriated from US test negative for COVID-19

A total of 80 Vietnamese citizens who had recently returned to the country from the United States have tested negative for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and successfully completed their isolation period in the northern province of Hoa Binh on May 23. 

Each of the 80 citizens spent a total of 14 days in quarantine and twice tested negative for the virus.

The group had originally been admitted to the site on May 9 and have had their health checked each day.

After being permitted to leave the quarantine facility, each person will now be placed into isolation at home as they undergo a further mandatory 14-day observation period as a means of ensuring that there is no possibility of the virus occurring.

As of the afternoon of May 23, a total of 267 people out of 324 COVID-19 cases nationwide have gone on to make a full recovery from the virus, with no deaths being caused as a result of the COVID-19.

Health authority in HCMC issues warning on COVID-19 prevention in hospitals

The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City has just issued a warning on preventive measures against Coronavirus in hospitals.

In its warning, the Department proposed directors of public and non-public hospitals to continue maintaining and implementing preventive activities in the past in a bid to thwart COVID-19 outbreak in hospitals and cross-infection of other contagious diseases. Infirmaries must keep screening and checking all people in.

Isolation wards must be located in a separate place from screening ward and other wards. More people should be screened and tested as per the city Center of Disease Control’s plan.

The Department also requested medical institutions to undertake SARS-CoV-2 tests on foreign patients or overseas Vietnamese patients who were transferred for treatment of other illnesses and isolate them according to the regulation.

Hospitals were encouraged to increase examination following prior appointment to stop gathering of people in the examination wards.

Furthermore, hospitals must train and re-train infection controlling and procedures to receive suspected people amongst staffs as well as monitor on medical workers who suffer cold and respiratory diseases.